EPK – Dissona – Dreadfully Distinct (2023)

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Band: Dissona
EP Title: Dreadfully Distinct
Release Date: November 10, 2023
Label: Self Release
Distribution: Earache

Track Listing:
1. The Prodigal Son (6:27)
2. Renaissance (5:33)
3. Skinjob (3:40)

EP Recording Credits:
– All songs performed by: Dissona
– All songs written by: Dissona
– Produced by: Dissona
– Mixed and Mastered by: Matt Motto
– EP Artwork by: Karo Gasiorwoska

EP and Live Lineup:
David Dubenic – Vocals
Matt Motto – Guitars
Craig Hamburger – Bass
Drew Goddard – Drums

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About The EP Artwork:

We wanted an image that spoke Blade Runner without being too immediately obvious. You may recognize the structure from a location in Blade Runner 2049, but in our rendition, the walls are folding paper containing details on virology that may have been of interest to Tyrell during his trials with the Nexus replicants.

About The EP as A Whole:

Dreadfully Distinct is a series of 3 character studies. Each song focuses on a character from the Blade Runner universe and delves into a compelling situation for each one. Since every character is so unique, every song we’ve created for this EP is also unique.

Track By Track explained:

1. The Prodigal Son focuses on the inception and development of Roy Batty, the so-called antagonist from the original Blade Runner film. The track opens with a newscast highlighting the release of the Nexus 6, Eldon Tyrell’s newest and most advanced replicants to date. We hear Tyrell address his technicians and “wake” Roy up for the first time. Roy is asked by Tyrell to tell him what he sees. After replying, “I see everything,” the track shifts energy to illustrate Roy’s immediate delivery into service. The band enters with an exciting instrumental section as Roy begins his journey. A transmission is heard, once again from Tyrell, stating that, due to the dire situation at “The Gate,” Roy will be stationed there to assist in the military efforts. David enters with his first vocal line over a rugged bass groove, stating Roy’s condition and condemned situation. As the song progresses, we experience an astonishing and awe-inspiring instrumental section that paints the delicate “C beams” Roy pleasantly describes witnessing. The situation turns, however, as new energies enter his mind. Why should I obey these weaker beings? Why should I “expire” after a laughable four years of existence? It’s simply not enough for him and he takes real steps to return to Earth and confront his maker. The track ends with Roy arriving at Tyrell’s “golden halls,” Tyrell most likely already knowing his fate.

2. Renaissance is Rick Deckard’s song. The situation we’re dropped into here is his and Rachael’s sweaty, twilight escape from LA. One of the most prominent underlying layers in this track, however, is the enticing question we’re presented with in Blade Runner: Is Deckard a replicant? The song opens with a hazy, elemental SFX intro. Flashes of stampeding hooves come and go, perhaps those unicorns poor Deck sees in his dreams (nightmares?). We shift to an exotic instrumental section, brimming with tension tones and odd time signatures. The band then enters instrumentally with an intricate, guitar-driven section, in yet another odd time signature. The colors shift to a delicate, yet strong, contrasting moment, displaying Deck’s protective spirit. His “whatever-it-takes” attitude, bad idea or not. David enters with the profound question: “Do you trust me?” and the race is off. We need to get out and get out NOW. As the track builds, we hear Deck implore his own psyche more than once, stressfully. “Dream, oh dream. What does it mean? Huh? What does it mean?” As the two descend into the dark, so does the music, paving the way for a dramatic bit of flashback dialogue between Deckard and Rachael (no doubt upon them learning of her impossible pregnancy). Deckard pleads with his own mind as the “dream” turns with certainty into a nightmare. He’s collapsing into himself: “Fold into a most peculiar/unfamiliar/paper figure.” Fed up, he demands to be shown the truth: “Can’t you show me what’s real?” The call goes unanswered and he’s reduced to revisit one of his most difficult moments with Rachael. In the final moments of the song, we feel Deckard command the dream to obliteration but, more than likely, that “dream” is sticking around.

3. Skinjob is a strong contrast from Renaissance and is written about Agent K from Blade Runner 2049. The track is purely electronic but still feels completely organic and authentic. It begins with an open, sub-driven verse section, painting a vision of life on the dystopian streets of LA. The section immediately following is completely elevating, with David stating “My mind and my body are yours to command.” Agent K is a replicant, make no mistake, and he is completely bent on doing as humans wish by their will alone. The second verse picks up steam while establishing a more regulated pulse. The questions from Agent K’s recent baseline test echo in his mind as he prowls the streets for his prey. Feelings of frustration build, feelings that shouldn’t be there. The music shifts to a much weightier, much more emotional feel. K contemplates what it might be like to disobey, to act completely out of character or programming. “Maybe I wanna watch you die this time” (the “you,” of course, being his replicant targets). The song drops to a filtered, sweeping build. “BAD DOG,” the words Luv so viciously threw at K are heard as we are transported to what will be his final confrontation with her. “A tall white fountain plays and the water rises.” Half nonsense, half observation. Wiring’s going bad maybe? Hard to tell but time’s up, Luv is here and ready to prove who’s the “best.” “Finger to finger and toe to toe” they size each other up and cut each other down during the song’s final climax. We close with a more affirmative chorus, this time with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it lyric change (Chorus 1: “Maybe I wanna watch you die this time; Chorus 2: “Maybe I’m gonna watch you die this time.”).

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Band Story Angles/Fun Facts:
●      While this is the first Dissona release that is based on an existing and widely-known intellectual property (Blade Runner), the band has considered both Dissona as well as Paleopneumatic concept albums in their own regard.

●      Every Dissona release including Dreadfully Distinct has been recorded, engineered, mixed, and mastered in-house (sometimes quite literally) by our own Matt Motto.

●      Dissona has self-released a number of covers on their YouTube channel. One of which, a rendition of The Whistler by Jethro Tull, was acknowledged and appreciated by Ian Anderson himself in a private email as well as on the Jethro Tull official website.

●      Dissona has actually completely recorded a third, full-length album. However, those tracks were completed right as the world was shutting down for COVID-19 quarantining. The band made the very difficult decision to sit on the album and watch for a certain level of normalcy to return. During this interim, the band conducted weekly Discord meetings and, after a few months, the need for creative release began building once more. They made the decision to write and record a “tight EP” of 3 tracks focusing on the Blade Runner universe with the intent of stimulating the fans and whetting their appetites for the full-length LP. In typical Dissona fashion, the “tight EP” grew into 3 gigantic songs, each brimming with unique character. After realizing what the songs had become, the even bolder decision was made to helm the first set of professional videos from the band. A stringent search would ensue for the perfect cinematographer. That search ended with Darryl Miller, a veteran Chicago film professional who shared a surprising level of vision with the band. And now, we present the fruits of these immense labors to you!

●      The name Dissona was originally a portmanteau of the words “dissonant” and “persona.” Contrary to what the public may think, the band does not possess any affinity for sea snails or designer handbags.

●      The band’s guitarist, Matt Motto, was the winner of the Masters Of Shred: Shredder’s Challenge 4.

●      Dreadfully Distinct is Dissona’s first musical release to feature voice acting.

●      Drew Goddard, the band’s drummer, recorded all of his parts (including the Hellfire of Renaissance) for this EP at 4 a.m. in his home studio.

●      Craig Hamburger, the band’s bassist, typically plays fingerstyle. The decision to use a pick or not is purely a tonal choice.

●      During their 2016 tour with Leprous, Dissona stopped in a North Dakota gas station/convenience store. The only other store inhabitants were a few elderly gentlemen playing a game of cards. While the band was perusing the back freezer area, one of the gentlemen came back and bluntly asked “You from Chicago?” to which the band answered with great surprise “Yes! How did you know!” The man, without skipping a beat, replied “Because you look like criminals!”

●      Tyrell’s lab footage was shot entirely at the band’s old high school’s green room and the “tech presentation” showcasing Roy later in the video was on the same high school’s stage.

●      The part of Roy Batty in The Prodigal Son video is played by David Dubenic, the lead singer.

●      Tyrell’s hazmat-suit-donning technicians are played by Matt Motto (guitars) and David Dubenic (vocals).

●      The video for The Prodigal Son was shot in over 5 locations over a period of 6 months.

●      All four videos attached to Dreadfully Distinct were directed by Dissona and edited by Matt Motto.

●      In The Prodigal Son video, there are vials of a mysterious glowing fluid that can be seen. The fluid used would only glow at its brightest for a few seconds before dimming and being unusable for the film. David had to very quickly mix the fluid, fill the vial, and shake it vigorously before allowing the camera to get focused and shoot. The shot of the vial inside the cabin took between 10 to 15 takes to get right.

●      The morning of the performance shoot for The Prodigal Son, a tornado touched down and tore through each of the band member’s towns.

●      In the security camera footage of the lab showing the aftermath of Roy’s rampage against the technicians, Roy’s serial number can be seen in the lower-left corner of the frame.

●      Eldon Tyrell dons a ring featuring the vesica piscis symbol, a symbol of significance to the Blade Runner source material’s author, Philip K. Dick. Later on in the cabin sequence, a portrait of Philip’s wife becomes replaced with a distorted image of the same symbol.

●      The typewriter shown in the video is an authentic, working 1960’s IBM Selectric, one of Philip K. Dick’s favorite typewriters. After scouring marketplace sites for weeks, Matt found the typewriter at an estate sale 5 minutes from his apartment and was bought for $20.

●      The macro footage of the posable dolls in Skinjob was filmed right in Matt’s apartment living room.

●      The backdrop lighting array you see in the Renaissance performance videos was built by Dissona and Darryl Miller in a single afternoon. The panels were 8 feet tall and skinned with white paper. Large LED lights were shown behind the panels to give the impression of a “wall of glowing light.”

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